Journal bearing



Dec. 1, 1953 s. w. WRIGHT ETAL JOURNAL BEARING 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1951 1953 s. w. WRIGHTIETAL JOURNAL BEARING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1951 r mu. Z7 97 I I 10 7 H s Patented Dec. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE JOURNAL BEARING Application January 20, 1951, Serial No. 206,986

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 23, 1950 Claims.

This invention relates to journal bearings, and is particularly concerned with an improved journal bearing assemblage for axles of railway vehicles, such as locomotives, coaches, waggons,

tate assembly, and in a preferred embodiment the helical groove in the ring element communir cates at its ends through passages with projecting pipes or nozzles disposed so that in one posimine tubs, and the like. 5 tion of the ring element, one pipe or nozzle dips In such journal bearing assemblages, full fluid into the oil in the reservoir beneath the bearing, lubrication at all times, and particularly in the and the other pipe or nozzle'deli-vers oil above period immediately following a long rest period, the bearing, while, on reversal of the axle and is most desirable, and many devices with this consequent angular displacement of the ring eleend in view have been proposed. For instance, mer t, the disposition of the pipes or nozzles is oil reservoirs with wick feed have been utilised, reversed. Thus, although reversal of direction but none of the devices heretofore proposed has of rotation of the axle reverses the direction of proved to be entirely satisfactory, pumping through the helical groove, the angular The present invention has for its object to prodisplacement of the ring element positions the vide an improved journal bearing assemblage pipes so that, irrespective of the direction of rotawhereby, in a simple and effective manner, full tion, oil is raised from the reservoir and delivered fluid lubrication may be attained. above the bearing.

According to the present invention, a journal The invention is hereinafter described, by way bearing assemblage comprises means which, on of example, with reference to theaccompanying rotation of the journal, is adapted, by hydrodiagrammatic drawings, in which: dynamic action, to raise oil from a reservoir be- Fig. l is a sectional elevation on the'line 'I- .:I low the bearing for delivery at a higher level for of Fig. 2, illustrating a journal bearing assemfiow to the bearing surface. blage in accordance with the invention;

More specifically, the invention includes a Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. '1; journal bearing assemblage comprising a nor- Fig. 3 is a sectional lan on the line III-.III, mally stationary ring element surrounding part of Fig. l; and of the axle with suitable clearance, said element 4 is a perspective view of the helically having a shallow helical groove in its bore, the grooved ring element. ends of which communicate with passages re- In carrying the invention into effect in its spectively for drawing oil from the reservoir beapplication, for example, to a journal bearing neath the bearing and for delivering oil to the assemblage for an axle box of a railway vehicle, bearing surface. and as shown in the accompanying diagrammatic The oil raised from the lower reservoir on drawings, a bearing 4 in the axle box I is made otat on of h e may be delivered to a upp somewhat shorter than in the conventional are reservoir guideway leading o a Passage D S- rangement so as to provide space adjacent the delivering to the bearing l outer end 2a of the journal 2 for a floating ring In Journal bearing as semblage-s of the element 3 which surrounds the journal 2 with question, the axl is sub ect to a reversal of rotasmall clearance and is of suitable length, for extlon' p m '0rder.that h Improved asemblage ample, l to 1 inches. The relatively small rei t h mventwn function f 0 duction in the effective length of the bearing 4 tively irrespective of the direction of rotation, does not materially affect .th 10a d carr in the normally stationary ring element is freely a f th b th displaceable to a limited angular extent, determ y o e f i masmug 6 e115, mined by stop means, about its axis so that, 9 3911mm f f normally used is general-1y according to the direction of rotation of the axle, m 9 Of qllllemelllts. t the appropriate end of the helical groove is placed The upper ha1f W 01 bear 4 the axlfi in communication with the lower reservoir and box or holfsmg i 15 provlded Wlth P 0 the other end for delivery of oil to the bearing, Passages 40 a e upper part for in u ti n it being understood that such angular displaceof 011 to the bearing su fa the 011 n ng ment of the ring element is effected by frictional from e lower a t A 1 the hearing which is drag between ring element and axle immediately fixed t0 t upper p t a y bolts n o a 1 8- on reversal of the direction of rotation of the erVOil la n 01 fi d t0 the lower a 0f h axle axle. box .or housing I. A reservoir lb also may be Conveniently, the ring element is made in tWO formed 0 p v ded in th 1 1 1 6 p rt O the axle semi-cylindrical parts bolted together to iacili- X ho I i r ceive .Oil for delivery through the said oil holes or passages 4b to the bearing surface.

The ring element 3 conveniently may be made in two half parts 3a, 3b held together by bolts 3h so as to be readily applied over the end 2a of the journal 2 which is frequently flanged, and is provided in its bore with a shallow helical groove 3c which does not extend to the ends of the ring element 3 and is therefore blind, the ends of the helical groove 30 communicating through passages 3d, 3e respectively with projecting pipes or nozzles 31, 3g arranged to extend over and beyond the adjacent end of the bearing. The ring element 3 is freely rotatable on the journal 2 within limits determined by suitable stop means. For example, the pipes or nozzles 31, 3g may co-operate with a stop la in the bearing or axle box or housing I the arrangement being such that in one position, the pipe or nozzle 3g is disposed so as to dip into oil in the reservoir la beneath the bearing 4, while the other pipe or nozzle 3f extends above the bearing for delivery of oil into the said upper reservoir lb. In the other extreme position of the said ring element 3, the position of the pipes or nozzles 3 3g is reversed.

During the reversing movement of the element, the projecting pipes or nozzles 3;, 3g traverse the passage 5 between a projecting part If and the wall of the axle box or housing I. When the projecting pipes or nozzles 3f, 3g are positioned against the stop lc, they deliver oil into the respective projecting parts Id, le of the upper reservoir lb.

The arrangement is such that, according to the direction of rotation of the journal, the ring element 3 is so positioned that the pumping action of the helical groove 30 in the ring element raises oil from the lower reservoir Ia and delivers it into the upper reservoir lb so that, at all times, there is continuous circulation of oil for maintaining full fluid lubrication of the bearing 4. The said pipes or nozzles 31, 3g may be arranged in opposite positions on the one part 3a of the ring element 3, the angular displacement of the element 3, when the direction of rotation of the journal is reversed, being somewhat less than a half turn so as to reverse the positions and functions of the pipes or nozzles 31, 3g as shown by the broken circles in Fig. 2.

The pipes or nozzles 3 3g may be bent and/or restricted at their open ends so as to inhibit the drainage of oil therefrom during the reversal operation.

The invention can be applied to existing vehicles without the necessity of modifying the axles thereof.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment hereinbefore described. For example, instead of providing projecting pipes or nozzles as before described, th ring element may be provided with passages coacting with suitable ports, one of which communicates with the lower reservoir, while the upper communicates with an upper reservoir or delivers into a suitable channel or guideway at the upper part of the bearing. Furthermore, such pipes or ports are not necessarily disposed at diametrically opposite positions but may be arranged in any other suitable manner providing that, when one pipe or port is in a lower position for drawing oil from the reservoir beneath the bearing, the other pipe or port is sufliciently elevated to deliver oil to the bearing surface, the extent of angular displacement of the ring element being suitably related to the relative disposition of the pipes or ports.

In another embodiment of the invention, the ports of the ring element may register with ports in the main bearing housing, wherebythe helically grooved ring element may deliver lubricant with a positive supply pressure direct to the main bearing. Sealing of the ports at the point of register may be attained by the viscous torque reaction on the ring element.

For effective lubrication it is not essential that the oil should be raised to a level above the top of the journal as shown, provided that the oil is raised to a sufficiently high level for delivery to any part or parts of the bearing surface.

We claim:

1. In an assembly including an axle and a bearing therefor having a reservoir containing oil: a lubricator comprising a ring member adapted for limited pivotable engagement with th axle, said ring member having a circumferential helical groove whereby, according to the direction of rotation of the axle, one of the ends of the groove is placed in contact with the oil in the reservoir and the other end is positioned for delivering the oil above the reservoir.

2. A journal bearing assembly comprising an axle, a bearing therefor, a ring element mounted freely on and surrounding part of the axle extending from the journal bearing, said ring element having a helical groove in its bore, the ends of the groove communicating respectively with a reservoir beneath the bearing and a bearing surface, a stop having a fixed relation with the bearing, stop-engaging means movable with the ring element whereby, regardless of the direction of rotation of the axle, one end of the helical groove is placed in communication with the reservoir and the other end is positioned for delivery of oil to the bearing surface.

3. A journal bearing assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bearing has a reservoir above the axle for receiving the oil raised from the res ervoir beneath the axle upon rotation of the latter, and a passage leading from the upper reservoir to a bearing surface.

4. A journal bearing assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the ring element comprises two semi-cylindrical parts bolted together.

5. A journal bearing assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the helical groove in the ring element communicates at each end through a passage with a projecting nozzle whereby, in one position of the ring element, one nozzle dips into the oil in th reservoir beneath the bearing and the other nozzle delivers oil above the bearing, and whereby on reversal of the axle and consequent angular displacement of the ring element, the disposition of the nozzles is reversed.

STEPHEN W. WRIGHT. PHIL P. LOVE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 381,691 Godley Apr. 24, 1888 934,622 Newman Sept. 21, 1909 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 21,833 Great Britain 1912 260,964 Germany May 25, 1911 695,210 France Dec. 12, 1930 

